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Effects of warm acclimation on serum osmolality, cortisol and hematocrit levels in the Antarctic fish, Trematomus bernacchii

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Abstract

Antarctic fish, such as the Trematomus bernacchii, living at −1.9°C maintain a serum osmolality of around 600 mOsm kg−1, nearly twice that of temperate fish. Upon warm acclimation, Antarctic fish significantly lower their serum osmolality. It has been suggested that this response to warm acclimation is due to stress. The purpose of this study was to determine, whether upon warm acclimation there was a change in the levels of the stress hormone cortisol and hematocrit associated with the decrease in serum osmolality. T. bernacchii were warm acclimated up to 4 weeks and serum osmolality, cortisol and hematocrit were measured. Upon warm acclimation to +1.6 and +3.8°C over the course of 4 weeks, T. bernacchii significantly lowered their serum osmolality (from 547 ± 4 mOsm kg−1 to 494 ± 6 and 489 ± 4 mOsm kg−1, respectively), yet did not alter their serum cortisol (29 ± 6 nl ml−1) or hematocrit (22 ± 1%) levels. These results suggest that warm acclimation does not induce a stress response in T. bernacchii.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs (NSF Grant OPP0229462). We would like to thank Ms. Kimberly Smith, Dr. Frank Dowd, Dr. Jack Yee, Ms. Anne Petzel, and Ms. Jill Petzel for their contributions, Dr. Gretchen Hoffman and her graduate students for generous fish donations, and finally employees of Raytheon Polar Services Company in Denver, USA, Christchurch, NZ, and McMurdo Station, Antarctica, especially Mr. David Zybowski and Mr. Howard Tobin. This work was submitted in partial fulfillment of a Master’s degree to the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Creighton University by H. A. H.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University School of Medicine, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE, 68178, USA

    H. A. Hudson, P. R. Brauer & D. H. Petzel

  2. Department of Pharmacology, Creighton University School of Medicine, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE, 68178, USA

    M. A. Scofield

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  1. H. A. Hudson
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  2. P. R. Brauer
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  3. M. A. Scofield
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  4. D. H. Petzel
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Correspondence to D. H. Petzel.

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Hudson, H.A., Brauer, P.R., Scofield, M.A. et al. Effects of warm acclimation on serum osmolality, cortisol and hematocrit levels in the Antarctic fish, Trematomus bernacchii . Polar Biol 31, 991–997 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-008-0438-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-008-0438-8

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